• Fixed monthly price • All waste types covered • FREE bins and delivery • Excellent customer support
We have an expert clinical waste team ready to provide medical waste disposal for your business in a safe, legal, and affordable way.
We can quote for your medical waste needs – just fill in our 60 second form.
What is medical waste?
Medical waste, sometimes referred to as healthcare waste, is refuse that may be infectious to humans. Such as bandages or syringes contaminated with blood or other bodily fluids.
What are examples of medical waste?
Syringes, used bandages, body parts, medicines, blood, and needles are typical examples of medical waste.
- Anatomical waste – body parts, organs, skin
- Infectious waste – materials which come into contact with an infectious patient like masks, gowns etc
- Medicinal waste – unused medicines, creams, and pills which are not dangerous (cytotoxic or cytostatic)
- Cytotoxic/Cytostatic waste – dangerous medicines like chemotherapy drugs
- Offensive waste – non-infectious sanitary or nappy waste
- Dental/amalgam waste – materials which contain teeth and traces of mercury
How much does medical waste disposal cost?
Medical waste disposal can cost anywhere between £10-£25 per bag or box. The price is all dependent on the type and the amount of clinical waste needing to be disposed of.
Prices can vary on location and accessibility to the medical waste too. The best way to know how much your clinical waste collections will cost is to contact our team today: 03333 44 54 77.
How to dispose of medical waste
To safely dispose of your medical waste you first need to identify what type of clinical waste it is. You then need to have the appropriate coloured bags and containers for each type.
And finally, you should use a professional waste management service to safely and legally dispose of your medical waste on your behalf. Trying to dispose of this specialist waste by yourself can not only be dangerous but also illegal.
Your clinical or sharps waste needs to be placed into your bags/bins as soon as possible after use. Ideally, your indoor bins should also have a lockable sealed lid and be wall mounted (to avoid spills).
Who is responsible for disposal of clinical waste?
In the UK, the business that produces the clinical waste is ultimately responsible for its safe disposal. This doesn’t necessarily mean that the business has to dispose of the waste themselves, in fact, the vast majority use a waste management service.
A Duty of Care or Waste Transfer Note is a document which records that the business has responsibly handed over its waste to a professional disposal company.
If you need help with your clinical waste disposal at your medical practice then you can get a free quote with us today.
What happens to clinical waste once collected?
Almost all types of clinical or medical waste are incinerated. This is done in order to remove any dangerous bacteria or infectious germs.
During high temperatures, the clinical waste is turned into gas, ash, and heat. This excess heat produced can be captured and used as energy.
An alternative to incineration is Autoclave Sterilisation. This is where materials such as soiled dressings, wipes, masks and other infectious waste are shredded and put into a large steel vessel which pumps high-pressure steam at temperatures of around 160 degrees Celsius.
This hot air kills off any germs on the materials. Around 17.5% of this waste can then be recycled, the rest is sent to landfill now it’s deemed non-infectious. The autoclave sterilisation process does reduce the volume of waste by about 60%, however.
Healthcare waste facts & statistics
- 85% of the waste produced in the healthcare industry is actually general (non-hazardous) waste. The remaining 15% is deemed infectious, toxic, or radioactive
- During the Covid-19 pandemic, it was found that 1 in 3 healthcare facilities were not safely managing their medical waste
- The NHS produces up to 600,000 tonnes of waste per year which is just over 1% of all UK domestic waste
- AAMC found that globally 4.4% of all greenhouse gas emissions come from hospitals. A staggering amount.
How do I get started with collections?
It’s actually really easy and it all starts with getting a quote. Fill in our quick and easy quote form and our team will be in touch to discuss your medical waste requirements and to answer any questions you may have.
At WasteManaged, we collect clinical waste for thousands of businesses all across the UK and are rated highly on Trust Pilot due to our quick, reliable, and affordable service.
Get a free no obligation quote from us today.
